“From Fear to Success” received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in the Business Reference category and Honorable Mention at the 2013 Paris Book Festival and 2013 New York Book Festival.

Dizzy head. Pounding heart. Shaking limbs. Sweating body. Shallow breathing. Queasy stomach. These symptoms hold people back from what they really want — SUCCESS. Public speakers of all levels will resonate with the concise methods found in “From Fear to Success,” an easy-to-read guide to overcome anxiety and relate to any audience on their journey to find their communication confidence.

This practical guide will share concise methods to overcome anxiety, relate to any audience, develop an effective presentation, make your message count, and stir emotion. The tips and techniques are bite-sized nuggets that will resonate with speakers of all levels–from those wanting to survive a speech to professionals needing reinforcement to hone their craft. Building off the fundamentals of public speaking and presentation skills, this guide offers a practicality that will stand the test of time. Readers will see that effective public speaking has more to do with confidence than communication skills. Public speaking is everywhere, not just at a podium, and successful public speaking skills can be developed with easy-to-follow steps. Readers will find that their own success, both personal and professional, is directly related to their ability to communicate effectively. Using personal examples of his triumphs and lessons learned, Tom shares his journey to get past the emotion of fear that has gripped everyone at some time in their lives when they stared into a crowd. The techniques included will build the confidence to not just survive one moment, but teach you to play to your own strengths and enjoy a lifetime of effective communication, strong leadership, and lasting personal relationships. Most people already have the groundwork to be a great public speaker. “From Fear to Success” maneuvers past your trepidations into a new world of self-assurance to build upon this foundation.

What was your inspiration for this book?
I found in my research of public-speaking books, that they often were highly academic, meaning focusing on the inner workings of what might be going on in your head and body. The scientific terminology made it difficult for people who simply wanted to get straight to the solution and actions needed. I’ve even read books in this genre who mentioned taking medication to calm you down. Unfortunately, this solves the short-term issue, but does not teach people that the solution is possible with some preparation. The long-term solution actually leads to the enjoyment of public-speaking. Knowing the complaints that nobody has time for anything today, even their own development. I was inspired to write a book to get people over something that is referred to as being worse than death. My approach is very simple and lays out methods that speakers of all levels will be able to implement.
When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
The thought of an audio book never crossed my mind. After a couple of book signings, I realized that the periodic question from potential readers relating to whether I offer an audio version became more prevalent.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
Interestingly enough, my book distributor was meeting with an audiobook company at the same time that I was doing research on the topic. The research told me that audiobook sales are on the rise. However, I never wrote the book for fame and fortune. I wrote it to reach an audience and give people something they could use to better their professional and personal lives. The final kicker for me was in an online discussion forum when I asked other independent authors if they were moving into this field. Ironically, there were only a few responses, which made me think that not a lot of authors are ready for this option yet. I decided to do it as a way to further differentiate my work from similar genres, but only after I read the one post that clinched it for me. It read, “Give your audience what they want and need.” How could I say no to that?

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
Because “From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide” naturally fit as a business reference book, and my experience in the speaking field, I felt the need to maintain my credibility by narrating it myself. In addition, I could add my feeling and my emphasis on the points I wanted through passionately using voice inflection and other public-speaking tools to truly get across my points.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
I would recommend having authors with the confidence and speaking voice to read their own books as one more way to connect directly with the audience. The readers feel the human touch when they know that the author is having an individual conversation with them.
What else would you like to share with readers about your audio book?
The audiobook business is still growing. I recommend doing your research on the potential companies. I also suggest getting a sample of their work. If you plan on doing the reading, I would set up a taping session so you can hear how you sound edited. As a growing business, you want a quality and well-established company. Finally, you should negotiate with the company. We sometimes get excited because our book will go public soon and make quick decisions. You have to still treat it as a business and ensure it makes good financial sense. Do the math based on how many books you will need to sell to at least break even. After you pick the company, have fun. It was a great experience to read my own words from a completely different perspective.